Multi-physics modelings and analysis for magnetized high-energy-density laser driven plasma flows
| dc.contributor.advisor | Liang, Edison | |
| dc.creator | Lu, Yingchao | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-12-04T16:09:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-12-04T16:09:55Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2020-12 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-12-04 | |
| dc.date.submitted | December 2020 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2020-12-04T16:09:56Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Laboratory experiments on large laser facilities have been a new way to study astrophysical phenomena and fundamental physics processes, including those related to magnetic fields. Over the past few years, two experiment platforms on OMEGA laser facility, i.e. hollow ring magnetized jet platform and shock-shear platform, have been developed to study the magnetic fields in high-energy-density laser driven plasma flows. This thesis summarizes the multi-year effort on the development of these two platforms. On the hollow ring magnetized jet platform, highly collimated jets are driven by a ring of 20 OMEGA beams. A bundle of laser beams with given individual intensity, duration and focal spot size, produces a supersonic jet of higher density, temperature and better collimation, if the beams are focused to form a circular ring pattern on a flat target instead of a single focal spot. On the shock-shear platform, counter-propagating shocks in a shock tube induces a shear layer with vortices and mix. The shock tube allows us to study the shear-induced instabilities and turbulence production under high-energy-density conditions. For both platforms, three-dimensional FLASH radiation-magnetohydrodynamics modeling is carried out to study the evolution of hydrodynamics and magnetic fields. While many experiments and observations have been carried out to study the plasmas with external magnetic fields, this thesis focus on the self-generated magnetic fields in high-energy-density plasmas. Magnetic fields are initially self-generated via the Biermann battery term. The accurate prediction and description of the late time dynamics of magnetic fields are limited by the current capability of the simulation code. For late time, non-ideal terms such as Nernst effect, magnetized heat flow and magnetic resistivity may play a significant role. In the experiments for both platforms, the hydrodynamical evolution of the plasmas was diagnosed by X-ray framing camera. Proton radiography was used to measure the line-integrated strength of magnetic fields. In the magnetized jet experiments, where the density of the plasma is low ( ρ ≲ 10^-3 g/cc ), optical Thomson scattering was used to diagnose the temperature, density and flow velocity of the jets. Synthetic proton radiography simulations, X-ray image simulations, and synthetic Thomson spectrum modelings are carried out to compare with the observable features in the experiments. The results from the simulations and experiments in this thesis have many potential applications to laboratory astrophysics, fundamental plasma physics and other areas. This thesis also summarizes the development of numerical methods for relativistic particle-in-cell simulations and analyses. Those methods significantly improves the reliability of PIC simulations and analyses in high energy density physics and high energy astrophysics. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Lu, Yingchao. "Multi-physics modelings and analysis for magnetized high-energy-density laser driven plasma flows." (2020) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109614">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109614</a>. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109614 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights | Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder. | |
| dc.subject | high energy density physics | |
| dc.subject | plasma physics, magnetic field | |
| dc.title | Multi-physics modelings and analysis for magnetized high-energy-density laser driven plasma flows | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | Text | |
| thesis.degree.department | Physics and Astronomy | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Natural Sciences | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Rice University | |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy |
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